The Adler ‘Scope

In this hands-on activity for families, we encourage you to create your own DIY constellation.

Header Image: The Zeiss Mark II projector can be seen here in the Adler’s original domed theater in the 1930s. Image Credit: The Adler Planetarium Archives Written By: Mike Smail, Director of Theaters and Digital Experience In January of 1970, the Adler Planetarium de-installed our original Zeiss planetarium projector (the first one in the Western […]

Meet the man behind the Adler Planetarium’s Skywatch Weekly YouTube show that gives you a weekly virtual tour of what’s up in our sky.

Enjoy family-friendly fun with these space mad libs for kids!

Header Image: An attendee looking through a telescope during a ‘Scopes In The City neighborhood event with the Adler Planetarium in 2018. Hi there! I’m Michelle Nichols the Director of Public Observing and an astronomy educator at the Adler Planetarium. Are you a sky observing beginner and want some recommendations on how to get started? […]

Header Image: Astrophotography picture of the Moon. Image Credit: Nick Lake What, exactly, is a blue moon, and how rare is it? This question seems like it should have a straightforward answer, but as with all things related to language, it’s complicated. Absurd, Impossible, or Rare? The phrase blue moon has been around for several […]

In this hands-on activity for families, we encourage you to look up at the night sky and design a night scene inspired by your memory or your imagination.

Image Caption: Adler Zooniverse project Health Record Hiccups analyzes graphs like this one to look for unexpected changes in health data over time. I’m not a statistician, a doctor, an elected official, or a very-recent-historian, but I would bet at least a couple of my vital organs that most of us have paid more attention to […]

Image Caption: The Andromeda Galaxy taken by an astrophotographer. Image Credit: Nick Lake From galactic paintings to space poetry, everyone’s favorite out-of-this-world muse—aka our universe—inspires all kinds of stellar works of art. Our staff came together and composed a few short poems all about aspects of space that inspire them. STAGES In my youth, I […]

Header Image: Planetarium guests attend a sky show with the Zeiss Mk II projector at the Adler c. 1955. Image Credit: The Adler Planetarium Archives When the Adler Planetarium opened in 1930 as America’s first planetarium, the centerpiece was a star projector made by the Carl Zeiss company of Germany, the Zeiss “Mark II”. This […]